Packer head



Oct. 2 5, 1938. w. M. LAFFERTY 2,134,514

PACKER HEAD Filed March 9, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 p 1 HIV/VI Wham/flaw;

ATTORNEYS W.YM. LAFFERTY PACKER HEAD Filed March 9, 1937 Oct. 25, 1938.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 wwi M i 2g 30 Iii MY/Zam/Waffar/ mvpzR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1938 ,u I- 'EosrA Es PA ENT FOIFFFICE PACKER H AD William M. Laiferty; Iteading. ohm

'- Application March 9,

n V H 2 Clai ms. Thisinvention relates to a packer head employed on machines for the making of, concrete pipes and similar devices wherein the head is rapidly reciprocated and carries tamping sticks or elements and has for the primary'object the provision of a novel means for mounting the sticks in the head which will automatically-pen mit the sticks to adjust themselves relative to thehead as the concrete fills the mold and becomes packed by said sticks. a Another object of this invention is-the provision. of a gripping means in the head to grip the sticks and which maybe readily adjusted to vary its gripping: actiononthe stick and includes a manuallyactuated means for easy'and quick actuation to free the sticks for returning to their initial position after completing a packing op- .erationin the forming of a pipe or similar de vice in-the mold. 5

With these and other objects' in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, 'combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. a

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating apacker head and the supporting and driving means therefor.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation illustrating the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view illustrating the packer head.

Figure 4 is a sectionalview taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a pivot member.

Figure '1 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating said pivot member;

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a fragmentary portion of a cement pipe making machine and'which supports for reciprocation a packer head 2 forming the subject matter'of the present invention and also rotatably supports a power shaft 3 including a crank 4. A connecting rod 5 is employed between the crank 4 and the packer head 2 to impart reciprocation to said packer head which is slidably supported by spaced guide rods 65. forming part of the machine I.

The packer head 2 carries tamping sticks or elements 1. While the drawings illustrate a 1937, Serial No. 129,905

pair of these sticks orelements it is to be understood that through a slight variation of parts and the packing head one,'two or three sticksor elements may be employed; Said sticks or elements operate within a mold (not shown) for the purpose of tamping concrete in the mold as said/concrete accumulates therein in forming a concrete pipeorthe like and asthe concrete accumulatjes in themold during the tamping operation the sticksor elements must move relativefto the packer head and the present invention provides an automatic 'm e'ans for accomplishing th.is, also includes a manual means whereby the sticks or elements'ma'y be'freed'of the packer head to return to theirinitial full tamping position with respect to a mold at the beginning of each operationof forming a pipe inthe mold The packer head'f-Z includes 'a housing 8 eql iipped with pairsf of upper and lower bearings 9 toslidably receive the guide rods 6 and carried by the housing 8 is a stubshaft Illon which the connecting rod 5 is journaled. The housing 8 in this instance moves in a vertical path and its upper and lower ends are open except for members H and inwardly directed flanges 12 and I3. The spaces between the members It and the flanges I2 and I3 receive andpermit the packersticks or elements I to extend through the head. The sticks or elements 1 are made of a fibrous material or wood and engaging said sticks or elements and located within the head or the housing thereof and held therein bythe members H and flanges l2 and I3 are gripping-blocks I4, I5 and I6. Of course, if additional sticks or elements are employed from that shown in the drawings an additional number of gripping blocks will be employed. Said blocks are made of a fibrous material or wood and the block I6 is arranged between one of the sticks or elements 1 and the rear wall of the housing while the block I5 is arranged between the pair of sticks or elements and the block I is arranged against one of the sticks or elements and is engaged by a follower I1 which includes in its construction the flanges l3. One end of a lever l8 is pivoted on the housing 8, as shown at 19, with the major portion of said lever arranged between the follower I! and the front wall of saidhousing 8. A part of said lever I8 is curved, as shown at 2|], and projects through an opening 2| formed in the front wall of the housing and has pivoted to its free end a connecting link 22 capable of being adjusted as to length. A pivot pin 23 connects the lever I8 to the follower l1 and has journaled thereon bearing sleeves 24 engaged by bearings 25 formed on one end of a rod 26. Said end of the rod also has integral therewith a spring seat 21. The rod 26 extends through a bracket 28 carried by the front wall of the housing 8. The bracket has threaded thereto a bearing sleeve 29 through which the rod extends. Mounted on the rod 26 between the bearing sleeve 29 and one end of a coil spring 30 is a spring seat 3|. The other end of the coil spring engages the seat 21. The spring 30 acts to urge the follower ll towards the rear wall of the housing 8 bringing about a gripping action of the blocks on the sticks or elements I establishing a frictional connection between the head 2 and the tamping sticks or elements. The spring action may be varied by adjusting the bearing sleeve 29 in the bracket 28, consequently providing a variable gripping action of the blocks on the tamping sticks or elements.

A hand lever 32 is pivoted on the bracket 28 and has one end pivoted to the connecting link 22 and its opposite end provided with a hand grip 33. The lever 32 includes a rectangular frame-like portion, as clearly shown in Figure 1, to straddle the bracket 28. A movement of the hand grip 33 in one direction will compress the spring 30 and consequently free the gripping action of the blocks on the tamping sticks or elements, allowing the sticks or elements to move freely with respect to the head so that the sticks may gravitate into their fullextended position with respect to the head for beginning a tamping operation within a mold. 7

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a very efficient frictional drive is established between the head 2 and the tamping sticks or elements and which will permit the sticksror elements to automatically adjust themselves relative to the head during the tamping operation and asthe concrete accumulates in the mold. However, this frictional drive will assure the operation of the tamping sticks or elements with sufficient or proper force to bring about a proper tamping of the concrete. However, as the concrete becomes packed, the frictional drive will permit the tamping sticks or blocks to slip relative to the head with the device in entirety still operating in tamping the concrete in the mold until the forming of the pipe in the mold is completed, since the operator through the manipulation of the hand grip 33 may free the tamping sticks or elements from the head.

What is claimed is:

1. A packer head comprising a reciprocally mounted housing including, means for connecting thereto a drive means and a supporting means and having extending therethrough tamping elements, a bracket extending from said housing, blocks mounted in said housing and engageable with the latter and with the tamping elements, a follower engageable with one of said blocks, a lever pivoted within said housing and on said follower, and spring means within said bracket and acting on said lever.

2. A packer head comprising a reciprocally mounted housing including means for connecting thereto a drive means and a supporting means and having extending therethrough tamping elements, a bracket extending from said housing, blocks mounted in said housing and engageable with the latter and with the tamping elements, a follower engageable with one of said blocks, a lever pivoted within said housing and on said follower, an adjustable spring means within said bracket and acting on said lever, and a hand actuated lever connected to said first lever for compressing said spring means and thereby relieving the follower of. the action of said spring means.

WILLIAM M. LAFFERTY. 

